Competition for graduate schemes is increasing, says Deloitte

Students may find they are facing increased competition when applying for graduate jobs, top firm Deloitte has revealed.

According to research by the auditor, there has been a 22% increase in the number of university students applying for employment positions in 2008.

Graduate Recruitment Partner at Deloitte, Sarah Shillingford, commented that students need to act fast to find future employment.

She remarked: 'The traditional autumn recruiting season has moved forward, with a large number of students applying for, and securing, their graduate job in the summer before their final year.'

'Our advice to students graduating in 2009 is to think ahead about their career choices and to start applying for roles from July this year.'

There are around ten applicants to every graduate position created at Deloitte, the firm added.

It is perhaps unsurprising that competition has increased for graduate roles, as a recent survey by UCAS discovered that university applications by A-level students have increased by 7% this year.